Death certificate; application

The death certificate is a document that certifies the death of a person.

The death certificate is an important document that you can apply for as a relative in the event of death.

You can apply for a death certificate as soon as the death has been recorded in the death register.

The death certificate is important, for example, for

• the funeral and its preparation (e.g. for the coffin and repatriation) and
• the settlement of the estate
• claiming statutory or private insurance benefits.

You can receive the death certificate in the following forms:

• Death certificate, possibly with translation assistance for use in EU countries
• Multilingual death certificate (this is valid in all countries that are party to the Convention of September 8, 1976 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records (see Civil Status Law - Convention - No. 16: Convention on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records)
• Certified printout from the register of deaths

Supplement 6th paragraph: Certified printouts and certified copies from the civil status registers are reproductions of the respective entries including subsequent certifications and information on changes under family law as well as corrections.

• You are 16 years old.
• You belong to the following group of people:
  • Husband or wife, partner of the deceased person
  • Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the deceased person
  • Siblings of the deceased person, if you can credibly demonstrate a legitimate interest
  • other persons who can credibly demonstrate a legal interest, for example by means of a letter from the probate court

2nd paragraph: Deeds can only be ordered by ancestors and descendants in a direct line.

You must apply for the death certificate at the registry office that notarized the death.

Applying in person:

• Go to your local registry office during opening hours to apply for a death certificate.
• You must present your identity card or passport to prove your identity.
• You can also have the death certificate applied for and collected by a person you trust. In addition to a written power of attorney, this person must also present their own and your identity card or passport (original or certified copy).

Written application:

• Send an informal application for a death certificate to the relevant registry office.
• Your letter should refer to your eligibility to apply.
• The letter must contain the following information about the deceased person:
  • Surname, first name
  • Date and place of birth
  • Date and place of death
  • Details of the deceased's spouse, if applicable
  • Registry office and notarization number (if known)
• Please enquire in advance at the registry office about payment options and the specific fee amount.

Electronic application:

• If available, call up the online procedure of the registry office.
• If necessary, authenticate yourself using the online ID function of your ID card.
• Enter the required data and upload any required documents.
• Submit the online application.

Death certificates and certified register printouts can only be issued from the death registers at the registry offices for a period of up to 30 years after the death has been recorded in the registers. In other cases, the archive of the municipality to which the registry office belongs is responsible.

usually 2 to 10 days

• You must submit your application:
  
  • Identity card or passport
  • Proof of relationship, such as
    • birth certificate
    • marriage certificate
    • civil partnership certificate
  • if collected by a representative:
    • written power of attorney from the authorized person,
    • their ID and
    • their own identification
  • for other persons, such as close relatives: Proof of legal interest, such as certificate of inheritance, extract from the land register

• Fee for a death certificate: EUR 12.00
• Fee for a certified printout: EUR 12.00
• Fee for a multilingual death certificate: EUR 12.00
• Fee for issuing a translation aid (multilingual form in accordance with Art. 7 Regulation (EU) No. 2016/1191): EUR 12.00
• Fee for death certificate for the statutory pension insurance or for the social welfare office: none